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Downgrading OMA is Insulting |
The Anak Mindanao Party List representative on Wednesday assailed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s deliberate neglect and continued maltreatment of Filipino Muslims in terms of addressing its plight and concerns as “Filipinos” following its decision downgrading the functions of the Office of the Muslim Affairs (OMA) through an Executive Order (EO) which he claimed as “highly insulting.”
Instead of restoring OMA from its previous status as a Cabinet office during the Marcos regime, Anak Mindanao (AMIN) Rep. Mujiv Hataman scored Executive Order 496 promulgated last January 23, 2006 placing among others, the OMA under the control and supervision of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).
“When OMA was created before, the highest official of the agency is considered a Cabinet member, a demonstration that the government was determined in addressing the Moro people’s concerns. However, pointlessly, the government gradually diminished its interest in dealing with the Moro people’s issues,” said Hataman.
Hataman said the Arroyo administration should not regard Muslims as a “social menace” but as peace-loving, God-fearing people enjoying its own heritage, culture and tradition and as people with high respect to the laws of the land.
“Silently, this administration is treating Muslims as a mere terrorists and criminals. Why this? Executive Order 496 aggravates the evident expression of deliberate neglect by the government and upgrading programs and projects that will address and advance the concerns and complexities of the Muslim communities,” he said.
The Mindanao solon deplored the way the Arroyo administration viewed Muslims in the society saying problems besetting Muslim communities are not anchored purely in attaining peace and order.
“We see no reason why the only government agency tasked primarily to develop programs and projects for the advancement of Muslim communities be placed under an office tasked with the implementation of the peace process,” said Hataman.
He called on Muslim leaders to unite in demanding to President Arroyo the withdrawal of EO 496 on the basis that Muslims should be accorded with high sense of decency in dealing with their economic, political and socio-cultural concerns.
The solon also asked President Arroyo to reinstate the former status of OMA as a Cabinet office that would seriously and sincerely address problems besetting each and every Filipino Muslim.
“I appeal for a sense of fairness. Muslims deserve better treatment in this country. Malacañang should rethink its packaging on us. We should be viewed as people in the community adhering to the rule of laws and not as a problem that could be resolved by a mere presidential office handling peace process,” Hataman said.
Under EO 496, the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo), ARMM Social Fund for Peace and Development (ASFPD), Mindanao Peace and Development Fund (MPDF) have been placed under the oversight of OPAPP along with OMA.
The OPAPP has been tasked to implement and supervise the comprehensive peace process as embodied in EO No. 3 dated 28th February 2001. |
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